Is bigger always better? That depends, of course, on whom you ask. In my opinion The Norwegian Joy is just too big.

My wife and I took the Joy, from LA to Miami because of the itinerary: a full transit of the Panama Canal. While I have visited Panama a couple of times, neither of us have ever gone through the locks. It was extraordinary. I prefaced the journey by reading David McCullough’s “The Path between the Seas.” That detailed account of the politics and the construction challenges associated with this amazing waterway made the journey much more interesting.

We have been cruising for years and have been on numerous lines. Years ago we traveled on the Norwegian Sun out of Texas. Because we enjoyed that so much, we thought we would give NCL another try. Read more